MOSFET having channel in bulk semiconductor and source/drain on insulator, and method of fabrication

ABSTRACT

A MOSFET device ( 100 ) in a mono-crystalline semiconductor material ( 101 ) of a first conductivity type, which comprises a source and a drain of the opposite conductivity type, each having regions of polycrystalline semiconductor ( 110, 120 ) and respective junctions ( 112 a,  122 a) in monocrystalline semiconductor. Localized buried insulator regions ( 113, 123 ) are below the polycrystalline source and drain regions, and a gate ( 130 ) between the source and drain regions is located so that the gate channel ( 134 ) is formed in bulk mono-crystalline semiconductor material. As an example, the semiconductor is silicon, the first conductivity type is p-type, and the localized buried insulator is silicon dioxide. The semiconductor material may also include silicon germanium.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related in general to the field of electricalsystems and semiconductor devices and more specifically to structure andmethod of a low-cost MOSFET having low resistance channel region andsource/drain on localized insulators.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

The fundamental building block of a microprocessor is the field effecttransistor (FET), which acts as a simple switch. The technicallypreferred variety is the MOSFET based on the metal-oxide-semiconductortechnology. The proper voltage applied to the gate electrode inducescharge along the channel, which then carries current between the sourceand the drain, turning the switch on. With sufficiently small gates(about 70 nm channel length and about 1.5 nm gate oxide thickness forthe emerging nanotechnology), these transistors can switch on and offbillions of times each second.

In order to guide the development in the semiconductor industry throughthe next decade, models for the key MOSFET physics have been combinedwith commercial projections and manufacturing needs in the InternationalTechnology Roadmap for Semiconductors. For leading-edge logic chips,this Roadmap projects continuous rapid scaling in the physical gatelength and gate dielectric equivalent oxide thickness, while theparameter characterizing the performance/speed of the transistor, alsocalled the nMOS delay time constant τ, is projected to improve by itshistoric rate of about 17%/year. τ is given as the product of the totalgate capacitance per unit width and the power supply voltage, divided bythe saturation drive current per unit width. Thus, one way to reduce τ(or improve performance) is to increase the saturation drive current.

As examples for further goals, a number of applications can benefit froma low source/drain-to-substrate capacitance. For other applications,improved immunity to cosmic radiation faults is desirable.

In addition to the Roadmap, the industry-wide challenge of manufacturingcost-reduction will remain as strong as ever through the next decade. Asan example for cost reduction, any process flows, which allow toeliminate just one photomask or masking step from a series of steps, isconsidered highly desirable. Further, integrated circuit designs usingMOSFETs are helped by incorporating manufacturing steps, which allowself-alignment of source/drain with the poly-silicon gate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A need has therefore arisen to conceive a fresh concept of a coherent,low-cost methodology for fabricating MOSFETs using fewer photomasks andmaintaining self-aligned source/drain in order to produce MOSFETs whichcombine the advantages of source/drain on oxide with the channel in bulkmono-crystalline semiconductor. Preferably, the MOSFET structure andfabrication method should be based on fundamental design conceptsflexible enough to be applied for different semiconductor productfamilies and a wide spectrum of design variations. It should not onlymeet high electrical (for example, high speed and lowsource/drain-to-substrate capacitance) and thermal performancerequirements, but should also achieve improvements towards the goals ofenhanced process yields and device reliability (for instance, immunityto cosmic radiation faults). Preferably, these innovations should beaccomplished using the installed equipment base so that no investment innew manufacturing machines is needed.

One embodiment of the invention is a MOSFET device in a mono-crystallinesemiconductor material of a first conductivity type, which comprises asource and a drain of the opposite conductivity type, each havingregions of polycrystalline semiconductor and respective junctions inmonocrystalline semiconductor. Localized buried insulator regions arebelow the polycrystalline source and drain regions, and a gate betweenthe source and drain regions is located so that the gate channel isformed in bulk monocrystalline semiconductor material. As an example,the semiconductor is silicon, the first conductivity type is p-type, andthe localized buried insulator is silicon dioxide. The semiconductormaterial may also include silicon germanium.

Another embodiment of the invention employs an initial shallow trenchisolation step as a means of confining the MOSFET to a predeterminedregion. In another embodiment, the drain features an extended junction.

Another embodiment of the invention is a method for fabricating an MOSfield effect transistor device in the surface of a semiconductormaterial of a first conductivity type. The method comprises the steps offorming a pair of sub-surface localized insulator regions, and formingsource and drain regions comprising poly-crystalline semiconductorregions above the insulator regions, respectively. Finally, and a gateregion at the surface between the source and drain regions is formed sothat the gate channel operates in bulk monocrystalline semiconductormaterial. Innovative process steps employed by the method includeanisotropic etching, chemical-mechanical polishing and the formation ofa silicon carbide layer as a stopper for chemical-mechanical polishing.The method of the invention needs one photomask less than theconventional process flow, and is thus less expensive.

The MOSFET created by the method of the invention has fewer parasiticsand is, therefore, a faster transistor. It allows scaling of gate lengthand gate insulator thickness.

The technical advances represented by certain embodiments of theinvention will become apparent from the following description of thepreferred embodiments of the invention, when considered in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings and the novel features set forth in theappended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross section of a portion of a semiconductorwafer depicting an MOS field effect transistor device according to anembodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 2 to 10 are schematic cross sections of a portion of asemiconductor wafer illustrating another embodiment of the invention, amethod for fabricating an MOS field effect transistor having its channelin bulk semiconductor and its source and drain on insulator.

FIG. 2 shows schematically the process steps of forming a layer of afirst insulating material, of polycrystalline semiconductor, and ofsilicon carbide.

FIG. 3 shows schematically the process steps of forming a pair oftrenches and the region intended for the gate channel.

FIG. 4 shows schematically the process step of depositing a secondinsulating material.

FIG. 5 shows schematically the process step of applyingchemical-mechanical polishing.

FIG. 6 shows schematically the process step of unisotropically etchingthe second insulating material.

FIG. 7 shows schematically the process steps of forming,chemically-mechanically polishing, etching, and partially oxidizingpolycrystalline semiconductor material.

FIG. 8 shows schematically the process steps of protecting the intendedgate and source/drain regions and removing unprotected polycrystallineand insulating materials.

FIG. 9 shows schematically the process steps of forming the gatesidewalls.

FIG. 10 shows schematically the process steps of forming the source anddrain junctions.

FIG. 11 is a schematic cross section of a portion of a semiconductorwafer depicting an MOS field effect transistor having symmetrical planarsource and drain junctions according to another embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 12 is a schematic cross section of a portion of a semiconductorwafer depicting an MOS field effect transistor device having an extendeddrain junction according to another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 13 is a schematic cross section of a portion of a semiconductorwafer depicting an MOS field effect transistor device between shallowtrench isolations, according to another embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic cross section of a portion of asemiconductor wafer 101 depicting an MOS field effect transistor(MOSFET) device, generally designated 100, according to an embodiment ofthe present invention. The semiconductor wafer is monocrystalline andhas a first conductivity type. Preferably, the wafer is made of siliconand the conductivity is p-type; the considerations of this invention,however, also apply to n-type semiconductor bulk material. Otherembodiments include silicon germanium or gallium arsenide or any othersemiconductor material used for device production.

Device 100 has a source of the opposite conductivity type, comprising aregion 110 made of polycrystalline semiconductor and a region 111 madeof monocrystalline semiconductor, delineated by junction 112 a from themonocrystalline bulk 101 in the intended gate region (the other part ofthe source/bulk junction is designated 112 b).

Device 100 further has a drain of the opposite conductivity type,comprising a region 120 made of polycrystalline semiconductor and aregion 121 made of monocrystalline semiconductor, delineated by junction122 a from the monocrystalline bulk 101 in the intended gate region (theother part of the drain/bulk junction is designated 122 b).

As FIG. 1 shows, a localized buried insulator region 113 is below thepolycrystalline source region 110, and a localized buried insulatorregion 123 is below the polycrystalline drain region 120. Thesestructural features render source and drain of device 100 “oninsulator”. A preferred choice of these insulators is the oxide of therespective semiconductor 101; thus, when bulk 101 is made of silicon,the preferred insulator choice 113 and 123 is silicon dioxide.

Device 100 further has a gate comprising a conductor region 130(preferably polycrystalline semiconductor), an insulator layer 131(preferably thermally grown semiconductor insulator such as silicondioxide), side insulator layers 132 (preferably silicon dioxide), andsidewalls 133 (preferably silicon nitride). The gate is between sourceand drain located so that the gate channel 134 is formed in bulkmonocrystalline semiconductor material 101. The length of channel 134may be as short as about 15 nm, and the thickness of insulator layer 131as thin as about 1.5 nm.

In order to provide contacts to source 110, gate 130, and drain 120,FIG. 1 indicates metal-semiconductor layers 115, 135, and 125,respectively, (preferably metal suicides), and contact metals 116, 136,and 126, respectively.

The structure of MOSFET 100 combines the localized source-on-insulatorand drain-on-insulator, and thus the low source/drain-to-substratecapacitance and the immunity to cosmic radiation faults, with the speedof a channel in bulk semiconductor. MOSFET 100 is scalable with regardto physical gate length and gate dielectric equivalent oxide thickness.The embodiment of the invention depicted in FIG. 1 is thus wellpositioned to improve the delay time constant τ, given as the product ofthe total gate capacitance per unit gate width and the power supplyvoltage, divided by the saturation drive current per unit width.

The embodiment of FIG. 1 can be manufactured by a low-cost process flow,which operates with one less photomask compared to standard process,while is maintains features such as self-aligned source/drain with polygate. The innovative process flow includes well-controllable processtechniques such as deposition of silicon carbide and chemical-mechanicalpolishing. According to the invention, the method for fabricating aMOSFET in the surface of a semiconductor material of a firstconductivity type comprises the steps of forming a pair of sub-surfacelocalized insulator regions; forming source and drain regions comprisingpoly-crystalline semiconductor regions above the insulator regions,respectively; and forming a gate region at the surface between thesource and drain regions so that the gate channel is formed in bulkmonocrystalline semiconductor material.

In more detail, the method for fabricating a MOSFET in a semiconductormaterial of a first conductivity type is described by the process stepsof FIGS. 2 to 10.

In the schematic cross section of FIG. 2, the process starts by growinga layer 202 of first insulating material on the surface of a wafer ofsemiconductor material 201. The semiconductor is preferably silicon, andthe conductivity is preferably p-type. Other alternatives are materials,which include silicon germanium, gallium arsenide, or othersemiconductor materials, and all considerations hold for n-typeconductivity, just with a reversal of all conductivity considerations.The layer 202 of first insulating material is preferably thermally grownsilicon dioxide in the thickness range from about 3 to 10 nm; thethickness, however, may be as thin as 1 nm, and other insulatingcompounds are acceptable, as long as they are able to serve as gateinsulator layers, including the required stability and interface statecharacteristics.

In the next process step, a polycrystalline semiconductor layer 203 isdeposited on insulating layer 202 on the wafer. Preferably, thepolycrystalline material is poly-silicon; the preferred layer thicknessis between about 200 and 400 nm. Other conductors are acceptable as longas they can serve as gate conductors.

A layer 204 of silicon carbide is then deposited on the polycrystallinesemiconductor layer 203 on the wafer. This layer is intended to act as abarrier in a chemical-mechanical polishing process step and has thus apreferred thickness in the range from 200 to 300 nm.

The next process steps define the regions, which are intended to becomethe source and drain regions of the MOSFET with the gate region betweenthem; these steps are depicted in the schematic cross section of FIG. 3.A first photoresist layer 301 is deposited on silicon carbide layer 204.The photoresist layer is then masked, developed, and etched. One of theremaining photoresist portions, 301 a, protects the region to become thetransistor gate of the MOSFET. In the stretches 302 and 303, which areto become the source and drain regions of the MOSFET, respectively, thephotoresist portions are removed. In subsequent etching steps, the newlyexposed layer portions of silicon carbide, polysilicon, and firstinsulator are sequentially removed, each one by its appropriate etchingmedium.

As FIG. 3 further indicates, in the intended source and drain regions302 and 303, the underlying semiconductor 201 is etched to create,respectively, a trench 302 a and 303 a of predetermined depth. Thepreferred range for the depth of the trenches is between 400 and 600 nm.After these etch steps, the remaining portions of the first photoresistlayer are removed.

In the next process step, indicated in the schematic cross section ofFIG. 4, a second insulating material 401 is deposited so that it fillsthe trenches and in addition forms a continuous layer of thickness 401 a(for example, about 200 nm thick) on the surface of the wafer, includingthe top surface of the remaining silicon carbide layer 204. Thepreferred choice for the second insulating material is silicon dioxide(deposited, not thermally grown like the first insulating material);alternatively, it may be another insulating compound of silicon.

Although not shown in FIG. 4, it is advisable to anneal the damage doneby the etch step in FIG. 3 by thermally growing an oxide layer of lessthan about 10 nm, before the second insulating material 401 isdeposited.

The schematic cross section of FIG. 5 illustrates the result of the nextprocess step, which employs chemical-mechanical polishing. Thecontinuous layer 401 a of the second insulating material is removed bythe technique of chemical-mechanical polishing; the polishing process isstopped by the underlying silicon carbide material 204, which acts as abarrier against further chemical-mechanical polishing.

As FIG. 6 indicates, an anisotropic etch is employed to etch the secondinsulating material 401 in the trenches 302 and 303. The etch processcontinues until only a predetermined thickness 601 of the secondinsulating material 401 remains in the trenches 302 and 303. Thickness601 is preferably between about 200 to 400 nm. The anisotropic etchcomprises, for instance, reactive ion etching, preferably using fluorinegas.

Although not shown in FIG. 6, it is advisable to follow, after theanisotropic etch step, with a process of annealing the etch damage. Thisprocess includes a clean-up step, followed by a thermal oxidation stepto grow an oxide layer of less than about 10 nm thickness; this thermaloxide is then removed by an etch step involving low concentrationhydrofluoric acid.

In the next process steps, indicated in FIG. 7, polycrystallinesemiconductor material is first deposited into the trenches 302 and 303until they are filled with this polycrystalline semiconductor materialand an additional layer of poly-material is deposited on the wafersurface. Preferably, the polycrystalline semiconductor material ispolysilicon. Chemical-mechanical polishing is then applied to polishaway the poly-material on the surface, until the silicon carbide stopper204 is reached. Next, the polycrystalline material is anisotropicallyetched into trenches 302 and 303 to a depth just below the firstinsulating layer 202. The remaining poly-material is designated in FIG.7 by 701. The thickness of the polycrystalline material 701 in thetrenches depends, of course, on the amount of trench 302 and 303 whichwas to be filled; as an example, it may be approximately 200 nm thick.Finally, the exposed surfaces of the polycrystalline material arethermally oxidized. This insulating surface layer is often referred toas “liner oxide”; it has preferably a thickness between about 3 and 10nm. In FIG. 7, the trench fillings 701 grow liner oxides 701 a on theirexposed surfaces; the polycrystalline material portions 203 grow lineroxides 703 on their exposed side walls; and the polycrystalline portion203 a grows liner oxides 702 around all exposed side walls.

FIG. 8 summarizes the next process steps. The remaining portions of thesilicon carbide layer 204 are removed by etching. A second photoresistlayer is deposited, masked and developed; the remaining portion 801 ofthis second photoresist layer protects the regions of the intended gate,including the polycrystalline semiconductor 203 a and the liner oxides702, and the trenches covered by the liner oxides 701 a. Thereafter, theexposed layers of the polycrystalline semiconductor material 203 and thefirst insulating material 202 are etched away. The remaining portion 801of the second photoresist layer is removed.

Next, a silicon nitride layer, preferably between 200 and 400 nm thick,is deposited over the wafer. As shown in the schematic cross section ofFIG. 9, the nitride layer is etched so that only sidewalls 901 ofsilicon nitride remain around the oxidized sides 702 of the intendedgate polycrystalline semiconductor material 203 a. Furthermore, the nowexposed portions of the liner oxide 701 a over the polycrystallineregions 701 are etched and only the liner oxide portions covered bysilicon nitride 901 remain.

FIG. 10 illustrates the formation of the source and drain junctions 1001and 1002, respectively, of the MOSFET. For this self-aligned processstep, dopants of the opposite conductivity type are implanted at highdose and high energy and annealed so that junctions for source and drainare formed under the layer 202 of the first insulating material undersaid intended gate 203 a; the preferred junction depth is approximately100 nm. As an example of preferred implantation conditions, the step ofimplanting uses phosphorus at a dose of about 1e14 to 1e15/cm² and about50 keV energy, when the semiconductor of the first conductivity type isp-type silicon; the step uses boron at a dose of about 1e14 to 1e15/cm²and about 20 keV energy for n-type silicon.

The finished MOSFET has been described above in FIG. 1, usingdesignations different from the ones employed for the steps of theprocess flow on FIGS. 2 to 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the process stepsleading to MOSFET completion include forming metal-semiconductor layers115, 125, and 135 in contact with polycrystalline semiconductor regions110, 120, and 130 respectively, of the intended source, drain and gate;further the step of forming metal contacts 116, 126, and 136 to therespective metal-semiconductor layers.

Another embodiment of the invention is depicted in FIG. 11, where thesource and drain junctions intersect with the surface in planartechnology; an extra masking step is needed for this embodiment. Notonly junction portions 1112 a and 1122 a reach the surface (under thegate insulator 1131), but also junction portions 1112 b and 1122 bterminate at the surface.

Another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 12. Anextended drain doping has been added in order to provide a space chargelayer 1201 for higher device breakdown voltage. The process creatingthis extended drain junction comprises, before the step of implantingdopants for source and drain, the step of implanting dopants of theconductivity type opposite to the conductivity type of the startingsemiconductor, at low dose and low energy, and annealing this implant sothat an extended junction for a drain of higher breakdown voltage isformed under the first insulating material under the intended gate. Apreferred example for this extended junction implant uses a dose ofapproximately 1e12 to 1e14/cm² depending upon the final required dopingdensity for the extended region 1201.

FIG. 13 shows another embodiment of the invention wherein the MOSFET isconfined between shallow trench isolations 1301. There are twoconvenient possibilities in the fabrication process flow discussed aboveto create the trench isolations. One possibility is before the step ofgrowing the layer of the first insulating material. Portions of thestarting semiconductor material of the first conductivity type areremoved and isolation material is deposited so that the region betweenthese portions defines the region of the transistor-to-be-fabricated.

Another possibility is before the step of removing the secondphotoresist layer. The semiconductor material is etched and isolationmaterial is deposited adjacent to each trench so that the intendedMOSFET is confined between this isolation material.

While this invention has been described in reference to illustrativeembodiments, this description is not intended to be construed in alimiting sense. Various modifications and combinations of theillustrative embodiments, as well as other embodiments of the invention,will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to thedescription. As an example, the material of the MOSFET may comprisesilicon, silicon germanium, gallium arsenide, or any other semiconductoror compound material used in IC manufacturing. As another example, theconductivity of the starting semiconductor material may be p-type, or itmay n-type. As other examples, a variety of etching procedures can beused for the material removal steps discussed in the MOSFET fabricationprocess flow. It is therefore intended that the appended claimsencompass any such modifications or embodiments.

1. An MOS field effect transistor device in a mono-crystallinesemiconductor material of a first conductivity type, comprising: asource and a drain of the opposite conductivity type, each havingregions of polycrystalline semiconductor and respective junctions inmono-crystalline semiconductor; localized buried insulator regions belowsaid polycrystalline source and drain regions; and a gate between saidsource and drain regions located so that the gate channel is formed inbulk mono-crystalline semiconductor material.
 2. The device according toclaim 1 wherein said semiconductor is silicon.
 3. The device accordingto claim 1 wherein said semiconductor includes silicon germanium.
 4. Thedevice according to claim 1 wherein said first conductivity type isp-type.
 5. The device according to claim 1 wherein said insulator is anoxide of said respective semiconductor.
 6. The device according to claim1 further comprising metal-semiconductor layers in contact with saidpolycrystalline semiconductor regions of said source, drain, and gate.7. The device according to claim 6 wherein said metal-semiconductorlayer is metal silicide and said polycrystalline semiconductor regioncomprises polycrystalline silicon.
 8. The device according to claim 7further comprising metal contacts to said silicide layers.
 9. The deviceaccording to claim 1 wherein said gate channel has a length as short asabout 15 nm.
 10. The device according to claim 1 wherein said gate hasan insulator layer topped by a conductor, the sides of said conductorsurrounded by more than one insulator layer.
 11. The device according toclaim 1 further comprising an extended drain junction.
 12. A method forfabricating an MOS field effect transistor device in the surface of asemiconductor material of a first conductivity type, comprising thesteps of: forming a pair of sub-surface localized insulator regions;forming source and drain regions comprising polycrystallinesemiconductor regions above said insulator regions, respectively; andforming a gate region at the surface between said source and drainregions so that the gate channel is formed in bulk monocrystallinesemiconductor material.
 13. The method according to claim 12 furthercomprising the step of forming the junctions of said source and drain sothat they surround said polycrystalline semiconductor material,respectively.
 14. A method for fabricating an MOS field effecttransistor device in the surface of a semiconductor material of a firstconductivity type, comprising the steps of: growing a layer of firstinsulating material on said surface of said semiconductor material;depositing a polycrystalline semiconductor layer on said insulatinglayer; depositing a silicon carbide layer on said polycrystallinesemiconductor layer; depositing, masking, and developing a firstphotoresist layer to define the regions intended for channel, sourcecontact, and drain contact of said MOSFET device; protecting saidintended channel region, while etching, in the regions of said intendedsource and drain contacts, sequentially said layers of photoresist, ofsilicon carbide, of polycrystalline semiconductor, and of firstinsulator; in said intended source and drain contact regions, etchingthe underlying semiconductor to create, respectively, a trench ofpredetermined depth; removing the remaining portion of said firstphotoresist layer; depositing a second insulating material so that itfills said trenches and forms a continuous layer on top of the remainingsilicon carbide layer; chemical-mechanical polishing said continuouslayer of second insulating material until said continuous layer isremoved and the underlying silicon carbide material is exposed, whichacts as a barrier against further chemical-mechanical polishing; etchinganisotropically said second insulating material in said trenches untilonly a predetermined thickness of said second insulating materialremains in said trenches; depositing polycrystalline semiconductormaterial into said trenches until they are filled with saidpolycrystalline semiconductor material; chemical-mechanical polishingany excess deposition of said polycrystalline semiconductor material,until the barrier of said silicon carbide layer is reached; etchinganisotropically said polycrystalline semiconductor material in saidtrenches to the depth of said first insulating material; oxidizing theexposed surfaces of said polycrystalline semiconductor material,including the exposed surfaces of the intended gate polycrystallinesemiconductor material, to form an liner oxide surface layer; etchingsaid silicon carbide layer; depositing, masking and developing a secondphotoresist layer to protect the regions of said intended gate and saidtrenches; etching the exposed layers of said polycrystallinesemiconductor material and first insulating material; removing saidsecond photoresist layer; depositing a layer of silicon nitride; etchingsaid nitride layer so that sidewalls remain around the oxidized sides ofthe intended gate polycrystalline semiconductor material; etching thelayer of said first insulating material remaining on said trenches; andimplanting dopants of the opposite conductivity type at high dose andhigh energy, and annealing said implant so that junctions for source anddrain are formed under said first insulating material under saidintended gate.
 15. The method according to claim 14 wherein saidsemiconductor material is silicon.
 16. The method according to claim 14wherein said first conductivity type is p-type.
 17. The method accordingto claim 14 wherein said first insulating material is an oxide,including silicon dioxide, thermally grown to a layer thickness betweenabout 1.5 to 10 nm.
 18. The method according to claim 14 wherein saidpolycrystalline semiconductor material is polycrystalline silicon andsaid layer has a thickness between about 200 to 400 nm, saidpolycrystalline silicon operable as the gate polycrystalline material.19. The method according to claim 14 wherein said silicon carbide layerhas a thickness between about 200 to 300 nm, said silicon carbideoperable as a barrier to the chemical-mechanical polishing process. 20.The method according to claim 14 wherein said predetermined depth fortrenches is between about 400 to 600 nm.
 21. The method according toclaim 14 wherein said second insulating material is silicon dioxide. 22.The method according to claim 14 wherein said anisotropic etch comprisesreactive ion etching.
 23. The method according to claim 14 wherein saidpredetermined thickness is about 200 to 400 nm.
 24. The method accordingto claim 14 wherein said step of oxidizing said polycrystallinesemiconductor material comprises thermal oxidation and forms aninsulating surface layer having a thickness of about 1.5 to 10 nm. 25.The method according to claim 14 wherein said silicon nitride layer hasa thickness between about 200 to 400 nm.
 26. The method according toclaim 14 wherein said step of implanting uses phosphorus at a dose ofabout 1e14 to 1e15/cm² and about 50 keV energy for said semiconductor ofsaid first conductivity type being p-type; the step uses boron at a doseof about 1e14 to 1e15/cm² and about 20 keV energy for n-typesemiconductor.
 27. The method according to claim 14 further comprising,before the step of removing said second photoresist layer, the steps ofetching said semiconductor material and depositing isolation materialadjacent to each trench so that said intended transistor is confinedbetween said isolation material.
 28. The method according to claim 14further comprising the steps of: forming metal-semiconductor layers incontact with said polycrystalline semiconductor regions of said intendedsource, drain and gate; and forming metal contacts to saidmetal-semiconductor layers.
 29. The method according to claim 14 furthercomprising, before said step of growing said layer of said firstinsulating material, the steps of removing portions of saidsemiconductor material of said first conductivity type and depositingisolation material so that the region between said portions defines theregion of the transistor-to-be-fabricated.
 30. The method according toclaim 14 further comprising, before said step of implanting dopants forsaid source and drain, the step of implanting dopants of the oppositeconductivity type at low dose and low energy, and annealing said implantso that an extended junction for a drain of higher breakdown voltage isformed under said first insulating material under said intended gate.31. The method according to claim 30 wherein said implant dose for saidextended junction is approximately 1e12 to 1e14/cm² depending upon thefinal required doping density for the extended region.
 32. The methodaccording to claim 14 further comprising, before said step of depositinga second insulating material, the step of thermally growing an oxidelayer of less than about 10 nm thickness.
 33. The method according toclaim 14 further comprising, after said step of etching said secondinsulating material, the step of thermally growing an oxide layer ofless than about 10 nm thickness and of chemically removing said thermaloxide layer.